I found my calling in photography… | Jenna Marshall Photography

Hey!

It has been a while since I wrote a blog post about myself and I rarely include self-portraits! My happy place is behind the camera, I feel very awkward in front of it lol. However, this year I am trying to make more of an effort to be in portraits for my children sake. It will be something they treasure as they get older. I also thought it would be a good time to properly introduce myself to you all and thank you all for taking the time to look at my page and read my posts.

I am writing todays blog to tell you more about myself and how/why I got in to photography. Photography has always been an interest of mine. I remember the first photograph I took. I would have been about 7 years old, my dad had fallen asleep on the couch after a long yet exciting christmas day. I just had the urge to pick up my mums camera and take a portrait of him. I had to wait for my mum to get the film developed before I could see how it looked and I had done a great job if I do say so myself. As I got older I always asked for cameras and art equipment. I remember one year when I was a teenager getting a polaroid camera that printed the images as stickers. I LOVED it!! I still have some of the images. They were stuck all over my bedroom walls and furniture which luckily my mum never complained about. They were always very supportive with my art work.

When I was leaving school I knew art and photography was what I wanted to do so I went on to college to do a BTEC in Art & Design. I loved every aspect of the course but the photography lessons were by far my favourite. I loved going into the darkroom and playing with all the filters and different developing techniques. I was devastated on the last day of the first year our teacher announced the department was closing and we would be unable to finish the course!! I ended up getting a job over the summer and settled down with my now husband. I worked in care for about 6 years, first as a Dementia Carer then as a Support Worker for disabled students in a fantastic special needs school. I loved my job! It was a job I was very proud of. However as a parent the hours had become unsuitable. I was getting home at 10.15pm, not getting to see my son. Photography stayed as a hobby for the whole of my adult life until I was on maternity leave with my daughter Willow. I decided the hours at the school were no longer suitable and I needed a job where I could fit the hours around my families needs. I decided to do a model call and did a few free sessions to practice. I knew from the start I didn’t want to be an average photographer who didn’t know what they were doing so I booked on to a Newborn Photography workshop with Jillian Greenhill. It was the best career decision I ever made. I was terrified on the course but Jill made us all feel so relaxed and explained everything so clearly! The difference in my work over just a matter of months after the workshop was incredible.

That was 3 years ago. Now I work full time as a family and newborn baby photographer. My style has developed over the years. I have recently been moving towards less posed images, trying to capture the moments in-between a photograph, the little moments that are easily forgotten. The moment you use your hand to brush hair from your daughters eyes, the moment your son falls asleep on your shoulder, the squishy nosed kisses. The imperfections are what make portraits meaningful. The best pictures for me are always the ones where no-one is looking at the camera, they are too busy in the moment, cuddling their child/parent, playing. These are the portraits your children will look back on with fondness as it sparks a memory of those hazy summer days in the park or the autumn walks.

Photography has always been in my soul, it is something I will never get bored of. The techniques to try and skills to learn are endless and ever-changing. I am lucky to be able to use my skills to capture my life with my husband and kids and also for other families who choose me as their family photographer. 3/4 times a year I like to donate a free family session to a deserving family, a family who deserve to have their story told. Being able to use my skills in this way is completely my calling.

During my photography journey I have become good friends with so many amazing photographers around the world. I highly recommend taking a look at Daniela Ingalls who is a Newborn Baby and Family Photography in Nandlstadt, near Munich, Germany. CLICK HERE to see her latest blog post.

Think I’m the photographer for you? Click here for more information on sessions.